Heat exchange apparatus



Aug. 4, 1931. N. L. HURD 1,816,850

111m EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lI iinew'jfizvegior WM 6?: 7 I so as 92 7 fi W Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED.STATES PATENT" OFFICE NORMAN L. HU'RD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO 0. H. LEACH COMPANY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUSApplication filed m 16, 1930-. Serial No. 468,266.

The present invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularlyto heat exchangers employed in connection with oilrefining operations,in which a hot oil vapor is partially or wholly condensed in a tubularexchanger through which cooling'liquid is circulated.

The object of the invention is to provide in a tubular heat exchanger ofthe aforementioned type a plurality of cooling liquid .passes in aminimum of space to promote economy of construction and efliciency ofoperation.

With this and other objects in View, the 1 various features of theinvention consist in certain novel features of construction,combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in theart from the following decription.

In'the preferred form of the invention shown in the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a section in elevation of a vertical type of tubularheat exchanger having provision for the formation and withdrawal of thecondensate from the region surrounding thelower tube ends; and

Fi 2 is a section in elevation of a modified i orm of tubular heatexchanger in which the floating ends of the tubes are located at thelower portion of the condenser rather than at the upper portion.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, moreparticularly in Fig. 1, a series of tubes 10 are disposed in verticalrelation within an enclosing shell 12. The tubes are rigidly mounted attheir lower ends by rolling, or equivalent means, 49 within a tubesupport 14 which may be in the form of a casting or forging having anupper circumferential web 16 to provide a condensate basin, and a lowercircumferential web 18 to form the outer wall of cooling liquidpassages. The shell 12 is mounted upon and secured to the upper web ofthe tube support through any desired form of construction, as a ring 20.Vapor to be cooled may be admitted to the shell through an inlet nozzle22 and delivered from the shell through an outlet nozzle 24. The upperend of the shell is closed by a detachable cap or bonnet 26, asindicated. In the form of the invention shown, the vertical tubes 10 aredivided into a series of banks or bundles to provide for a plurality ofliquid and vapor -passes, and to promote the greatest efiiciency of heatexchange within a minimum of space. To this end the tubes 10 may beconsidered as divided into bundles, denoted as 25, 26, 27 and 28,reading from left to right. Each of these tube bundles is closed at theupper end by a fioatin head 30 having a base portion 32 into W ich theupper tube ends are rolled, and a cover portion 34 which hermeticallyseals the space communicating with the interior of the tube. Thesefloating heads of necessity project beyond opposite sides of the tubebundles, and in order to place the bundles in a compact relationship andavoid inefficiently large vapor spaces therebetween, I have found itpossible to stagger the floating heads by making the tube bundles ofdissimilar length. This I accomplish by forming the intermediate tubebundles 26 and 27 of suiiicient length to project beyond the outer tubebundles 25 and 28, and thus remove the floating heads connected to theintermediate tube bundles beyond the path of movement of the outerfloating heads, as indicated particularly in in the drawings. By virtueof this arrangement, the opposite ends of adjacent heads maybe caused tooverlap in amanner to minimize the space between the bundles. As thetubes expand and contract, the floating heads move in paths controlledthereby with out interference. Separating the intermediate tube bundlesis a longitudinal partition or baflie 40 having a vapor passage 42 atthe upper end. This bafile extends upwardly between the two intermediatefloating heads, as indicated, and downwardly into contact with anintegral web44, dividing the condensate basin into two parts. Thisbafile is conveniently connected at opposite edges to the shell, and isremovable therewith. By virtue of this construction, the shellsurrounding the tube bundles, to-

gether with-the bafile, may be completely withdrawn from about thebundles without interference with the floating heads or the bundlesthemselves. In operation the vapor passes inwardly through the nozzle22, upwardly about the bundles 27 and 28, through the opening 42,downwardly about the bundles 25 and 26, and outwardly through the nozzle24. The condensate formed from the vapor is collected in the twoseparate portions of the basin, and may be Withdrawn from condensateopenings 50 and 51. A cooling liquid is delivered to a passage 54through a nozzle 56, and after passing through the interior of the tubebundles and series of passes, as will be clearly evident, is deliveredthrough the nozzle 58. Reversal of liquid flow is controlled by thefloating heads at one end of the tube bundles and by partitions atopposite ends of the tube bundles.

The construction shown in Fig. 2 embodies a similar arrangement offloating heads in which the heat exchanger is inverted. The tubes 10depend from a flat tube support connected at their upper ends,-

and provided at their lower ends with a series of floating heads 72.Vapor is adat one end.

' NORMAN L. HURD.

mitted and exhausted through nozzles 74 and 76, and directed in twovapor passes by the intermediate partition 78. Cooling liquid isadmitted and exhausted through the nozzles 80 and 82 formed in the cap84, and provided with partitions 86 which form passages communicatingwith the interior of the bundles. Condensate is collected in the chamber86 formed in two parts by the partition 88, provided with separatedischarge openings 90 and 92. In the same inanner as in the previousconstruction, the shell may be withdrawn downwardly from about the tubebundles by disconnecting from the tube sheet or support, and withdrawalwith the connected partition without interference with either thefloating heads or connected bundles.

What is claimed is:

'1. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a series of tubes divided intobundles, meansfor fixedly supporting all ofthe tubes at one end, a headconnected to the opposite end ofeach tube bundle in staggeredrelationship, a shell surrounding all of the bundles, a partitionextending longitudinally of the bundles. between adjacent heads, andmeans for connecting the partition to the shell to permit withdrawalofthe shell and connected partition. u

2. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a series of tube bundles ofdissimilar length, means for fixedly supporting-all of the tube bundlesat one end, a head connected to the opposite end of each tube bundle, ashell surrounding the bundles, and a partition ex-

